Tentative agreement ends BART strike

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and its two largest unions reached a tentative agreement on labor contracts October 21, which will be presented to employees for a ratification vote.

General Manager Grace Crunican said, "We are pleased to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement with union leadership that will bring the trains back into service, starting tomorrow [October 22], while union members consider the agreement and vote on it."

She says that this is a good package for union members while still allowing the district to make the necessary investments in BART's infrastructure and that the investment is critical to the future of the Bay Area.

"We believe the tentative agreement will allow us to go forward with a commitment to working together," she stated. "I won't go into details about the tentative agreement. I will simply say it sets BART on a path of partnerships with union members and helps us to prepare for the future.

"This has been a long and difficult negotiation. I want to thank the union leaders, the mediators and the BART Board of Directors for the hard work that has gone into getting us to the tentative agreement.